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She said: 'I initially heard the collapse of the chute. I heard a collision and some kind of sound, and looked over and saw two people falling from the sky.'

Witness Irene Marquez added: 'It was spinning but it was like in slow motion and I could see the guy, I don't know what he was trying to do but I felt bad for them.'

The area where the accident took place is popular with visitors and gliding enthusiasts of various levels of expertise, but is not for gliding beginners and a license has to be shown to take to the air

The two victims died when they fell 75ft into the cliff after their parachutes became tangled

The area where the accident took place is popular with visitors and gliding enthusiasts of various levels of expertise.

The gliderport where the collision took place is not meant for beginners, where intermediate and advanced pilots need to check in and show a license before taking to the air, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

However glider crashes are said to be rare in the area, with Stropsky adding, 'I don't recall the last time two gliders became entwined.'

The last fatal crash at the site was when a South Carolina woman, who was an experienced glider pilot, died in 2012 after she crashed into a sheer cliff 200ft above Black’s Beach.